SINGAPORE, 27 February 2024: Tripadvisor released its Travelers’ Choice® Award for 2024: the Best of the Best Beaches last week with Praia da Falésia in Olhos de Agua, Portugal, topping the global list.
Based on an analysis of all the reviews left on Tripadvisor for beaches globally over one year, the award reveals the beaches that were the highest-rated by people who had visited the beaches recently.
“Last year, Tripadvisor got millions of reviews for beaches – it’s clear that our community loves them. But as our Travelers’ Choice lists reveal, there’s no one-size-fits-all ‘beach day’: Our top 25 winners alone encompass 18 countries across five continents,” Tripadvisor head of editorial Sarah Firshein explained. “The top three beaches are all in Europe, ousting the perennially popular Caribbean from those spots—a sign that some travellers are eager to swap typical resort vacations for the coastlines of Portugal, Italy, and beyond.”
Though winners span from Sydney to Seychelles to Hawaii, No. 1 in the World for 2024 is Praia da Falésia in Portugal. Set in the heart of the Algarve, the tiny fishing town of Olhos de Agua surrounds a sandy cove lapped by the Atlantic Ocean. This gorgeous stretch of white sand and coloured cliffs was ranked sixth in 2023.
Top 10 Beaches in the World for 2024
Praia da Falésia – Olhos de Agua, Portugal
Good for: Scenic walks, sunbathing.
Best time to visit: Spring is great for more affordable prices and fewer crowds.
Spiaggia dei Conigli – Lampedusa, Italy
Good for: Sea turtle sightings, scuba diving.
Best time to visit: The spring generally has the lowest hotel prices. But in the summer, Lampedusa becomes more accessible via direct flights from mainland cities and ferry service from Sicily.
La Concha Beach – San Sebastian – Donostia, Spain
Good for: People watching on the boardwalk, families.
Best time to visit: The spring generally has the lowest hotel prices. Plus, it beat the summer crowds.
Ka’anapali Beach – Lahaina, Hawaii, US
Good for: Wildlife sightings, water sports.
Best time to visit: It’s always a good time to visit Maui. The most affordable hotel prices are in the fall, but winter brings unbelievable whale watching – even from the beach’s shores.
Grace Bay Beach – Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos
Good for: Sunbathing, walking along the soft white sand.
Best time to visit: Summer brings blue skies, white clouds, shimmering water, and generally the lowest hotel prices from June through August.
Anse Lazio – Praslin Island, Seychelles
Good for: Sunbathing, photography, swimming.
Best time to visit: Between April and May or October and November have calmer, less windy weather.
Manly Beach – Sydney, Australia
Good for: Walking, shopping in the surrounding area.
Best time to visit: Comfortable temperatures and fewer crowds in Sydney come between March and May or September and November — which means better airfare prices, too. But January is another excellent time for those who want to warm up with the masses from winter back home.
Eagle Beach – Palm-Eagle Beach, Aruba, Caribbean
Good for: Sunbathing, jet skiing.
Best time to visit: With its location south of hurricane zones, there is always a good time to visit Aruba, but going in the winter is especially sweet. The showers are usually short, while there is a slightly rainy season from October to January.
Siesta Beach – Siesta Key, Florida, US
Good for: Sunbathing, families.
Best time to visit: Fall is great to visit Siesta Key to snag lower hotel prices and enjoy post-summer sunshine.
Varadero Beach – Varadero, Cuba
Good for: Couples, walking.
Best time to visit: US citizens still need to stay up-to-date on travel policies and jump through a few hoops to visit Cuba, but hotel prices are generally the lowest in the spring.
With 55% of global Tripadvisor users in a survey reporting that helping the environment is important to them*, this year’s award includes a new ranking of Sustainable Beaches, following the introduction of Sustainable Destinations in January. As measured by a combination of inputs from sustainable data partner BeCause (via the Blue Flag program) and Tripadvisor traveller reviews, winners stand out for their commitments to sustainability.
Top 10 Sustainable Beaches in the World
Sandbanks Beach – Poole, United Kingdom.
Radhanagar Beach – Havelock Island, India.
Saundersfoot Beach – Saundersfoot, United Kingdom.
Corniche Beach – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Galissas Beach – Galissas, Greece.
Nissi Beach – Ayia Napa, Cyprus.
Mellieha Beach – Mellieha, Malta.
Myrtos Beach – Kefalonia, Greece.
Playa Blanca – Playa Blanca, Spain.
Camp’s Bay Beach – Cape Town, South Africa.
(Source: Tripadvisor)
